Passed vs Past: Which One Do You Need?
Passed is the past tense of the verb pass. Past is everything else.
She passed the exam. In the past.
The test that settles it
Ask whether the word is doing something. If it is a verb, it is passed. If it is a noun, adjective or preposition, it is past.
“he ___ the ball” → an action, so passed.
“just ___ the church” → a position, so past.
Passed: the verb
The past tense and participle of pass — moving by, succeeding in a test, handing something over, or time going.
We passed the turning.
She passed her driving test.
Three hours passed.
Could you put has in front? Then passed.
Past: noun, adjective or preposition
Time gone by, something belonging to it, or the position beyond something. It is never a verb.
That is all in the past.
Over the past year.
The shop is just past the bridge.
Swap in beyond or former. If either works, past.
Side by side
| Passed | Past |
|---|---|
| Verb | Noun, adjective, preposition |
| An action happened | A time or a position |
| Takes has | Takes the |
| He passed by | He walked past |
The exception
Walked past. The verb is walked, and past is the preposition telling you where.
Passed would need to be the main verb: he passed the shop.
Where people get it wrong
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| We drove passed the school. | We drove past the school. | Drove is the verb; past is the preposition. |
| in the passed | in the past | A noun. |
| Time past quickly. | Time passed quickly. | The verb. |
| past the salt | pass the salt | The present-tense verb. |
Practice — choose the right word, then check yourself.
- The bus ___ without stopping.
- The library is just ___ the roundabout.
- She has ___ every module.
- Over the ___ decade things changed.
- He ran ___ me without a word.
Show the answers
1. passed 2. past 3. passed 4. past 5. past
Frequently asked
Which is the more common mistake?
Writing passed for the preposition: drove passed. If there is already a verb in the sentence, you want past.
What about passed away?
The verb, so two s: he passed away last year.
More words people confuse
